Basic but Useful Advice about E-mail
January 26, 2008 by Eric Eggertson
Filed under Marketing
Not all advice has to be earth shattering.
Lillie Amman goes over the basics of using e-mail, and some of her points are worth incorporating into a company style guide on communications.
Some examples:
- Create a good subject line for your message
- Write in language and tone appropriate for the subject and recipient
- When you forward a message, delete all the extraneous information
I wish more people paid attention to her subject line advice. Writing a sloppy heading wastes everyone’s time. If the entire point of your e-mail can be included in the subject line, then do it. No need to be coy.
Good Subject Line: Reminder Not to Log Off Computers Tonight
Mediocre Subject Line: Network Maintenance Announcement
Absolute Crap: A Reminder …
Technorati Tags: business, communication, advice, tips, email, style, company, time wasters, productivity, effectiveness, lillie amman
Another good source is the book Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home written last year by David Shipley and Will Schwalbe.
Eric,
Thanks for linking to and writing about my e-mail advice. As you say, it’s nothing new or profound, but we see every day that people need it.
Good advice. And how about this: When the subject matter changes, CHANGE YOUR SUBJECT LINE!